Community Insight for Rye City Real Estate and Harrison Real Estate

Dinner Tonight

Need a delicious and easy meal for dinner…I have a great idea for you!

The next time you are shopping in the supermarket or butcher, pick up some pork chops and when you get home put them in brine. It is very easy and they can sit in the brine for 1-3 days. So the night where things are crazy and you are not sure what to have for dinner, they are waiting for you.

Brining recipes are easy to find online and you can brine pretty much any piece of pork. Chicken in brine is delicious as well, although you only want to brine a chicken for a few hours. The recipe I follow is Judy Rodgers from the Zuni Café Cookbook. You can cook the pork chops on the grill or brown them in a frying pan and then finish them off in the oven. Serve the pork chops with a sweet potato mash and roasted broccoli. Judy Rogers also has a delicious recipe for applesauce that goes great with the pork chops. If you are anything like me – you’ll be lucky if the applesauce makes it to the dinner table.

Brine Recipe:

5 cups water

1-2 bay leaves crumbled

dried chilis

6 tablespoons of sugar

crushed juniper berries (optional)

3 tablespoons of salt

Place bay leaves, chili and crushed juniper berries in a pot with one cup of the water. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Combine the rest of the water, sugar and salt in a bowl – add the water with the aromatics. Add the pork chops or tenderloins. Make sure the water is at room temperature or cooler and also be sure to have the pork completely submerged in the water. They can stay in the refrigerator for 1 -3 days. A couple of hours before cooking the pork – rinse under cold water while massaging the meat. Dry off with paper towels and put back in the fridge until ready to cook.

Roasted Applesauce:

3 ½ – 4 apples

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

pinch of salt

splash of cider vinegar

1-2 teaspoons of sugar

Preheat oven to 375

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Toss with a little salt and a bit of sugar. Spread in a shallow baking dish that crowds the apples in a single layer. Sprinkle with slivers of the butter, cover tightly and bake until they start to soften, 15-30 minutes depending on your apples. Uncover and raise the heat to 500. Leave the apples to dry out and color slightly, about 10 minutes. Scrape apples into a bowl and stir until chunky. Season with salt and sugar to taste and add a splash of apple cider vinegar.